Who has heard of a Halloween Resolution? Well, I’m starting one. It’s a week into September of 2020 and I’m nowhere near my two primary goals…finishing VII and losing weight. So, let’s see if I can make it happen before one of my favorite holidays.

The hardest part for me is staying motivated.

I mean, I come out of the gate strong most of the time. But then, I pitter out after a few days and slide back into my rut. Let’s see if I can ease it out of this and get back some traction.

Why Start a Halloween Resolution?

If there is ever a good time in the year for me to focus, it’s when I’m the most positive. And in most years, it would be the stretch between October 1st and December 31st.

I love this time of year and my eyes light up like a 10-year-old’s on Christmas morning throughout the entire last quarter.

This means I’m banking on the fact that I am in much higher spirits during the winter than any other season. But, will it help me enough to stay motivated and accomplish some long-term goals I keep putting off?

In the end, it all boils down to what keeps you focused. Everyone is different and has unique triggers. I’m hoping this time of the year is mine.

What’s Going into this Halloween Resolution?

Over the years, a lot of my goals seem to revolve around Halloween. Whether it’s losing weight or finishing a writing project, it all comes down to the fall and how it energizes me.

So, it only makes sense to push a Halloween Resolution for myself. I just hope that I’m not just having a bipolar issue and this is an “up day.”

Finishing VII

So, four years ago, I started my horror novel, VII. And I haven’t been the most productive as of late. In fact, the last time I worked on the book was back in March.

Now, I could chalk it up to personal and global issues slowing my progress. But in reality, I’ve had plenty of time to finish the damn thing. And although I have been exceptionally busy as of late, I can still squeak in some time to work on VII.

Because I do feel energized this week, I am laying it out there for the world to know…I am FINISHING VII by Halloween. Well, at least the rough draft. I still have to edit, and after reading what I have at the moment, I have to edit a lot.

If I can get the ball rolling, though, I might be able to publish it in the very near future.

Do I think it’s a New York Time’s Best Seller? No. But, that’s not my goal. All my life, I’ve just wanted to look over at my bookshelf and see something I’ve created. So, that’ll be the first step.

After that, then we’ll aim for the New York Time’s Best Seller list.

But none of that is going to happen unless I finish writing it in the first place. To be perfectly honest, I just want to finish something…even if it sucks. At least I can say that I actually finished.

Losing the Last 20 Pounds

Every year, I want to slim down for the Hallow-baloo party for Geeks of Grandeur. And although there might not be a party this year, I’m still focused on looking like a superhero.

In the grand scheme of things, I’ve lost more than 80 pounds. What I’m upset with is how long it’s taken me. We’re talking how to lose 80 pounds in 6 short years!

Maybe that’ll be my next book. It’ll be more of a biography as it deals more with motivation, depression, and dealing with loss than losing weight.

It’s difficult when you deal with depression as often as I do. But, things are looking so much better. So, yeah, losing the last 20 pounds is part of my Halloween Resolution.

I have a few ideas about how to stay motivated this time around. One of them is doing a nightly video for YouTube. Just something to talk about my day, what issues I’ve had, and how well I’ve done.

It really doesn’t need to be anything fancy. In reality, it’s simply a kind of video journal to help me stay the course that everyone can watch. So, more for myself than anything.

Does a Halloween Resolution Really Matter?

What makes a New Year’s Resolution more prominent than any other time of year? It’s merely centered around a measure of time. In this case, so is mine.

You can make a resolution for any span of time, really. In fact, a lot of people will work to get a “beach body” before the first day of summer.

For me, it’s more about getting into the right frame of mind. And when it comes to this time of year, I’m all about positivity. Even my 13-year-old commented to me yesterday how my excitement “is contagious.”

As soon as I saw the decorations in Home Depot yesterday, I’m filled with a whole new energy. That although this year has gone straight to hell in a handbasket, I can still summon my excitement for this season.

The problem, however, is making sure I can stay motivated to keep going. I always play better on the back nine, so this just might be me turning up the game and finishing strong.

And although I doubt I’ll meet my one million word goal this year, I’ve already written more in 2020 than I had in 2019. So, I can’t really call the experience a failure.

Any victory is still a victory.

And I can say that I have done far more in 2020 than I have in recent years.

What Are Your Immediate Goals?

Now, you don’t need to have your own Halloween Resolution. But perhaps you can set a realistic goal for yourself for some other time frame.

Always strive for self-improvement…even if it’s something small. You don’t need to accomplish major life changes to improve yourself. It all comes down to what you want out of life.

And in this case, I want to see what I look like at 200 pounds as an adult while feeling comfortable in the thought that I finished writing something longer than a 3,000-word short story.

What would you like to change?